Poles Apart

The historical seeds of Partition were bitter, from where only bitter fruits grew (“Worlds Apart”, August 20). The relations between India and Pakistan, however, can improve if the two neighbours cooperate with each other. Considering India’s stupendous growth in the last two decades, Pakistan can benefit in areas such as trade, infrastructure and other crucial domains if it develops better ties with India. If willing, India can help Pakistan strategically uproot the terrorist outfits in Pakistan as well. Despite the bitter history, it is never too late to plant healthy seeds in order to harvest better relations. SANJIV GUPTA, Australia It is very unfortunate that Pakistani women are subjected to such torture and humiliation on the basis of gender (“Where Every Day is a Battle”, August 20). Violence against women and the dark undercurrent of religious extremism come in the way of a country’s growth and prosperity. Women need to be given a more dignified place in society and be treated on an equal footing with men. They should not be just mute spectators, but must oppose any unfair treatment that is meted out to them. Not just Pakistan, even in India, many women are victims of honour killing, bride burning, domestic violence, acid violence and rape. Both the countries should wake up to these problems. V. K. TANGRI, Dehradun The word feudal (“It Runs in the Family”, August 20) is often loosely used to deplore dynastic democ-

racy in India today. Author Mark Tully suggests that India’s democratic dynasties have risen because they suit the current circumstances and that they are modern political hybrids. There is no doubt that dynasties abound in India— the most obvious being the Nehru- Gandhi dynasty. Indira Gandhi is usually credited with converting Congress into a family business. Powerful dynastic patriarchs such as Mulayam Singh Yadav, M. Karunanidhi, Naveen Patnaik have carved out a niche for themselves. The recent estimates show that over 28 per cent of the current MPs are dynasts. Dynasties seem to be serving the needs of India. RINKY KHAN, Ambala Three senior Northern Railway officers are in the dock (“Freight Scam Hits Railways”, August 20) for allegedly suppressing facts that could expose a case of evasion of state levies in Punjab. Captain Yuvinder Singh Matta, joint director in Punjab’s excise and taxation department, has asked them to appear before a court in Bathinda to recover details of all freight bound to or from Punjab passenger trains, since the state joined the VAT regime. They should be dealt with a stern hand. The Railway Act should be amended in order to permit authorities to check

Take Them to Task

consignments. Certificates containing details of goods, their value, weight, and names of consigners and consignees, with their addresses, should be submitted to the Railways at the time of booking a consignment. Such certificates may help check scams and identify any procedural lapses during transport of goods. SUMAN SEN, Kolkata

Captain Clueless

Even though Assam is bleeding, Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi is still vacillating (“Clueless on a Volcano”, August 20). He had declared earlier that he would send the refugees home by August 15, but later said that the process of rehabilitation would start after Independence Day. What he calls a volcano, has claimed 78 lives. He seems to be content with announcing a CBI inquiry. The Bodo leadership wants the credentials of the inmates to be verified before they are rehabilitated, as “illegal immigrants” could take advantage. There seems to be little sign of improvement, as the people who had left the camps are returning, following fresh outbreak of clashes. KUSUM MEHTA, Delhi

Web of Conspiracy

Globetrotting evangelist K. A. Paul has accused the Andhra Pradesh authorities of conspiring to declare him mad and possibly kill him (“Godman Cries Conspiracy”, August 20). His supporters claim that his arrest in the run- up to the recent bypolls has fuelled their suspicions about foul- play. They feel that the ruling party leaders are trying to send him to a mental hospital or eliminate him in jail and grab his property. Is he a godman or conspirator?

ATUL CHOWDHARY, Allahabad The Wisconsin tragedy reveals the ignorance about Sikhs in the US (“‘ Sikhs are Not Muslims’”, August 20). Not only has the community been the target of hate crimes, but also often mixed up with Muslims. Even though six people were gunned down by 40- year- old discharged US army soldier Wade Michael Page, the Sikhs saw it as a “teachable moment”, where many would be made aware of their heritage and background. ANJUM M. SAMEL, Mumbai

Yes, We Can

America and India are the two largest democracies of the world, yet the US is much better governed than India, where corruption, red- tapism, nepotism and lack of patriotism are the order of the day (“The Banality of Freedom”, August 20). Chaos, poor governance, power failures etc have become hallmarks of today’s living. The system needs to be overhauled. GAUTAM BAID, Hazaribagh

Tragic Lesson